This is the beautiful boutique resort, Mahogany Hall in San Ignacio, Belize.  The hotel is located along the Mopan River and is an oasis found in the jungle of Belize. Every morning we saw many different species of birds.  If you listen carefully, beyond the sound of the rushing Mopan River, you'll hear the cries of the Howler Monkeys. Would you like spend a few days in paradise?  Contact us and we will find the perfect place for you!  

These shoes have not been worn since Iceland last year.  In my closet they sit, still containing the black sand from this spot in Vik, Iceland.  Minutes before this picture was taken, a wave hit me and soaked my feet.  I placed them here to dry while we proceeded down the beach.  We took this picture so it would be easy to find them after we returned from our walk.  Follow our walk with the pictures below...

Wouldn't it be great to transport ourselves to a beautiful land and wonderful memories, despite all the responsibilities and stresses of daily life.  Tonight, we're off to SPAIN and not even leaving our house!  No passport needed.  Below is the recipe for a delicious night, Spanish-style!  Get your Flamenco dancing shoes ready!  The recipe below would go great with a nice Rioja, Garnacha or Tempranillo from Spain.  BUEN PROVECHO!

Chicken Breasts with Spanish Rice 
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 onion
1/3 green bell pepper
1/3 red
bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup brown rice
1 can whole tomatoes, 15 oz (450gr)
1/4 - 3/4 cup chicken stock or water
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs olive oil
chopped spanish olives

Chop onion and peppers. Mince garlic. Cut chicken breasts in half.  Heat oil in deep skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts, and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes each. Remove to a plate. Add chili powder, onion, pepper, and garlic. Sauté for  5 minutes. Open tomatoes and drain liquid into a bowl. Chop the tomatoes and drain again. Add drained tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, spanish olives and rice to pan. Measure  the drained liquid and add enough water or chicken stock to equal 1 cup (or however much liquid your rice package calls for). Pour this over the rice/vegetables in the skillet and stir well to combine. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the rice and cover. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until rice is done.  Mine took 20 minutes - check rice package. Stir occasionally while cooking. When done, serve - either from the pan or arrange nicely on a platter.

A very late night showing of La Feerie at the Moulin Rouge in Paris!  What a great show!  Even with jetlag, we enjoyed every moment!  The Champagne may have helped!!  Or maybe it was the boobies!  The show was ever-changing and quite a variety of performances.  Definitely worth the hefty price tag! 

A day trip from Brussels took us to Ghent and Bruges, Belgium.  Here is a picture of a waterway in Ghent.  Ghent was a great surprise--so very Gothic and pretty.  We enjoyed some samples at a local market in the city square.  And then there are CHOCOLATES!!  We tasted way too many chocolates and loved every moment of it!  Yum.

The Anne Frank House really was a great insight into a horrible situation.  Simply done, the museum really gives a great portrayal into the lives of the 8 people in hiding.  It's not an overwhelming museum, which was nice.  At the end they added a modern,  interactive spin on many discriminations that plague this world today. 

I suppose this is "Amsterdam" in the minds of so many people.  Let me just tell you--Amsterdam is so much more than coffeeshops and red lights!  It is a beautiful atmosphere, full of bicycles, swans and lovely people!  I didn't expect such a beautiful city--so quaint and calming.  We LOVED our journey here!  We are now "CHEESE-TASTING MASTERS!"  We enjoyed a little cheese and wine tasting while there.  See below!

Shortly 6 of us will be heading to Europe!  First stop-AMST'ERDAM!  Oh my what shall we see??  Perhaps a few "ladies of the night" in the red light district!  We will be visiting the Anne Frank house, enjoying a wine and cheese-tasting, and getting our very own Dutch Sloep for a few hours.  Maybe we'll pack ourselves a small picnic for the excursion!  I really can't wait to meander the beautiful canaled streets of the Netherlands!

Exceeded all of our expectaions!!  Even brought us to tears!  The Taj Mahal is absolutely Beautiful.  This Mausoleum was built out of complete Love!  Amazing!

The nightly Aarti ceremony was an emotional highlight.  Sitting in a boat on the Ganges River, listening to the songs of a life celebrated.